


What if Naegi was the subject for the Hope Cultivation Plan?

by SHSL_ex_SOLDIER



Series: Hope Cultivation Plan AUs [4]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Naegi!Kamukura au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:23:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER/pseuds/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Consider this a bonus chapter... or a prelude to another chapter. Who knows?</p></blockquote>





	1. The Beginning of Hope

Naegi used to be an ordinary high school student until he won the lottery.

Each year, out of all the thousands of ordinary high school students, one would be drawn randomly and enrolled as the SHSL Luckster. Naegi has never expected him out of all the people to be the lucky winner this year. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy. He’d get to join the other talented people and he’d have a title of his own.

Except, he knew it was a hollow title.

Aside from the lottey, nothing else remotely remarkable has ever happened to him. He was perfectly average with perfectly average luck. And he was feeling immensely guilty over getting the title SHSL Luckster when there was surely someone else who better suited it.

That’s why he was interested in the second letter.

Unlike the standard procedure of receiving an acceptance letter, Naegi got two. The other was red and haad confidential written all over it. The messenger was even strict about not letting anyone else read it so as per instruction, Naegi read it for a few times in front of the messenger. The letter was immediately disposed and burned right after. Although it was notinh but ashes now, its contents were scorched into his mind.

Proposal for Hope Cultivation Plan.

Now he understood why it was so confidential. It was an experiment to artificially create hope. Not just any hope but a hope that encompasses all hope. It was a human experiment.

And they were asking Naegi to be the human subject.

All of it sounded fake. It was just so surreal. Hope’s Peak Academy, the most prestigious high school in the whole Japan, was doing something as malicious as this. It was supposed to be a school that nurtured talents, not surgically create them. It just didn’t add up.

But Naegi remembered the wieght and feel of the letter in his hands. It was real. He checked for the ashes and found traces of them. It was real. He received an encrpted e-mail right after. It was real.

The dream of  having a talent of his own, of standing on equal grounds with others, of becoming true hope– it was real.

And so Naegi turned down the offer of SHSL Luckster.

Instead, he accepted the proposal to become SHSL Hope.


	2. A More Hopeful Kamukura

When Makoto Naegi slept, it was Izuru Kamukura who woke up.

The first thing that registered in his mind when he woke up was the fact that he was still alive and how relieved he was to be still breathing. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, another quickly followed it highlighting the odds of the success of the operation, all the possible events that could have stemmed from it, and how he had just narrowly missed death and... losing his personality. He blinked.

That was an oddly detailed analysis that suddenly came to him. No, it wasn't sudden, his mind reasoned. It's just one of his many talents. He blinked again at the realization. This was... talent? Before he could even question it, his mind had already explained the whole thing to him. And surprisngly or perhaps unsurprisingly, he wasn't at all overwhelmed by all these information. At the same time that he was in awe, he was also in understanding.

Naegi had become the SHSL Hope.

Now he had all the talents known to the world inside him and honestly, it was exhilerating. There was so much he could do now that his past self couldn't do and he couldn't wait to use these talents for the benefit of the world as countless scenarios unfolded inside his head. He could do this now. He had the strength to actually help people now. But he also had something else that would change the world. He didn't just have talent, he had hope.

Hope. He had become hope itself.

He had always believed in hope and how everyone had hope inside of them even if they failed to realize it. And with his newly found abilities, he just confirmed that his belief wasn't wrong. Everyone has the capacity for hope, with or without talent. Everyone. Without exception. If only people could recognize this fact then the world would be a far better place than it is now.

That's why he was "born", right? To spread hope.

He nodded to himself. That's right. This wasn't just about him anymore. While it was true that he may have accepted the proposal due to the selfish reason of acquiring a talent and standing on equal grounds with his classmates, he realized that this was bigger than that. He didn't get just any talent but all of the talents. He had the responsibility to put it to good use. He had the hopes of everyone resting on his shoulders.

And he would do his best to live up to his title as SHSL Hope.


	3. Hope Meets Despair

It was only natural for the SHSL HOPE to meet the SHSL DESPAIR.

“Kyaaah! Kamukura, look at me!” A girl squealed as she entered his room. She was all gung-ho until she paused as she took a good look at him. “Hm? Is it me or do you look more on the plain side?

"Ahaha, guilty as charged.” He weakly laughed. “Although I suppose this is the most exciting look for me as of yet.”

An adverse side effect from the operation was the change in his appearance. His eyes had turned from emerald to glow a golden gleam. It was odd but it didn’t affect his eyesight at all if not improved it. The surgery placed a lot of strain on his body, especially on his brain, so in retaliation, his hair had turned white. It had grown excessively long too but he decided to cut it since it felt off for him. He wasn’t allowed to dye his hair just yet since they were still monitoring him. He’s a bit bothered that his hair was no longer brown but it’s not like anyone else was going to see him.

“I guess it’s cool if you’re into those white-haired stereotypes.” She commented clearly unimpressed. And then she easily perked up her tone. “Hey, did you know? One of the stereotypes of white-haired guys is that…” She smiled mischievously.

She pulled out a knife and lunged forward.

“They DIE!!!” She screamed as she aimed for his throat.

Time slowed down.

Kamukura calmly sauntered towards her and swiped the knife out from her hands. Her eyes slowly widened in shock. Even without the blade, her body was still moving forward from the momentum so he stopped her by the shoulders. It made her fall back but only slightly, just enough for her to regain her balance and stand still. After which, he returned back to his seat as he casually crossed his legs.

The hands of time returned to normal.

“What the hell?” She asked with more of an annoyed expression rather than a confused one.

“That was dangerous, Enoshima. You could have seriously gotten hurt.” He chided lightly. It wasn’t that he was mocking her, he was just honestly concerned.

Which pissed her off even more. “Hello? I just tried to fucking murder you and you’re worried for moi? I knew they messed up with your head but seriously what is wrong with you?”

“Is it so wrong to worry about others?” He answered innocently as if there  wasn’t anything wrong with him at all.

“Are we seriously glossing over the fact that I’m your attempted murderer?” She asked him incredulously.

“Well I’m still alive, aren’t I?” He smiled, not at all bothered by the fact that she did try to kill him. Since no harm was done, he reasoned that there was no use to holding grudges. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“Like I wasn’t even asking for forgiveness. And what are you, a saint?” She whined, totally disgusted with the kinddness she was showering her with. She stomped her feet like a child pulling a tantrum. “When I found out about that there was a human experimentation, I was expecting a more fucked up test subject. Not… NOT THIS!”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Sorry to disappoint you then.”

“We’ll workshop on that later.” She sighed exasperatedly and then moved quickly on as she leaned forward with a wide smile. “For now, may I interest you in some despair?”

Something about her smile was wrong.

“…Despair?” He repeated.

“Hmmm? You’re interested? You are! You totally are!” She giggled happily and then winked at him. “Well since you asked, I’d gladly explain. Brace yourself, mere mortal!” Her bright personality fell flat almost instantaneously as she asked with a straight face, “Hey, Kamukura. Isn’t it boring?”

He blinked at the question and echoed, “Boring?”

“Yes, boring.” She sighed listlessly. “You have all the talents in the world and now what?” Then she yelled angrily at the top of her lungs. “Everything’s become boring that’s what!” She regained her composure as she continued to explain, “You can do anything but it’s precisely because you can do anything that it’s not so exciting anymore. Such is the life you live now. Easy, predictable and ultimately boring.”

Admittedly though, there was some truth to her words but…

“If you continue to live as you are now then you’ll just be dooming yourself to a boring life. Hope is preexisting harmony. But despair is different.” Her face turned red as if the mere thought of it brought her happiness. “The heart-racing excitement of messy despair has a taste like you’ve never known!”

A taste that’s unknown…?

“You may be the world’s hope. You may save the world. But that won’t lead you to excitement. And so you won’t find salvation.” She continued in a condescending tone.

He’ll save the world but he won’t be saved? That’s just…

“Won’t you come join me in my despair?” She cordially invited him and then smiled that wrong smile of hers again. “Together we’ll have way lots of fun more than what your boring hope could ever give you!”

Boring… hope?

“You’ve got that wrong!” He firmly objected.

He had been patiently listening to her all this time but now it was his turn to speak.

“It’s true that with all my talents, everything has become easier for me and if I only had talent going on for me then maybe I would have been bored.” He explained with a slight frown.

If he only had talent then maybe he would have jumped at this opportunity. However, he had something else. He had something even greater than talent.

He placed a hand over his chest as his frown turned into a soft smile. “But I’m not bored at all. That’s because I have hope.”

She looked so offended by his words. “What? How the fuck do you get excitement from hope?”

“My hope alone isn’t exciting enough.” He knew that. But he knew that he  wasn’t alone in this either. “That’s why I want others to have hope as well. And when I think about how I’ll be able to do that, it honestly makes me happy.”

This feeling of hope, he wished that everyone else felt it too.

And wouldn’t it be great if he wasn’t just the only person spreading hope?  "The idea of not just me bringing out the hope in others but of others bringing out the hope in othe people as well is something that’s wonderful exciting to me.“

And with Kamukura’s hope, Enoshima despaired.

"What the actual fuck! I can’t believe I got cheated!! You’re not supposed to be this hopeful for human experiment!” She yelled at him crossly and thoroughly disgusted by him. “You’re only supposed to be the SHSL Hope in title as in SHSL Talented not become a literal human embodiment of hope. What bullshit is this?”

“You’re right. I only got my title of SHSL Hope because of my talents.” He agreed as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was nothing but unwavering resolve behind his gaze. “But I want to become more than just my talents. I want to properly earn my title and live up to its name as SHSL Hope. I will inspire hope inside the hearts of people and help them inspire hope in others.”

“Ugh! Stop! Enough with this hope shit!” She complained as she covered her ears and shook her head in outright rejection. This was too toxic for her. This was not how the plan was supposed to go. He was supposed to join her on the despair side not go on a fucking hope speech.

Isn’t this the worst for her? How despairful her situation is.

“And here I thought that I was about to make a new friend. Too bad.” She shook her head in disappointment. “I don’t think we’ll ever agree.”

“You don’t know that yet. I’m sure that if we talk this out, we’ll come to some form of agreement.” He refuted.

“Through what? Through hope? BLECK!! I’d rather die than have that shit in me.” She fake gagged dramatically and then paused as a scheming smile took hold of her lips. “Although wouldn’t it be more despairing if you, the symbol of hope, died instead?”

She made for another murder attempt. Only to be thwarted yet again by him. This time he had her in an arm lock and pinned to the ground as an added precaution. She was seriously going all out to kill him even though she had no chance of winning. It was concerning and also, just a bit sad.

“That’s no good. You can’t kill me and you know that.” He reprimanded her with a slight frown.

“What? So you’re going to kill me instead?” She scoffed fearlessly. “Go ahead. That’ll be despairing in its own way too.”

He just sighed tiredly. “Didn’t I say so before?”

“What are you talking about?” She asked confusedly.

Hope.

“I will inspire hope in the hearts of people.”

Then he flashed her his brightest and most hopeful smile yet.

“Even in you, Enoshima.”

Because what kind of SHSL HOPE would he be if he couldn’t give hope to everyone, including the SHSL DESPAIR?


	4. Hope meets Other Hopefuls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a bonus chapter... or a prelude to another chapter. Who knows?

“It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Izuru Kamukura. My title is SHSL Hope. I know I’m transferring late but I hope that we all get along!”

He cheerfully introduced himself, he was practically brimming with hope that could match his title. Regarding his title, he received mixed reactions from the class for having such a controversial title. That and the fact that he was a transferee made him all the more suspicious. But he didn’t let that get him down. He’s sure that once they talked this out, they’ll be able to get along just fine.

“What kind of a title is SHSL Hope?”

He had expected this and so he had braced himself for the inevitable discussion that came along with the question. There were multiple routes from here on out and he had to choose his answers carefully if he wanted to gain the trust of his classmates.

“I guess you could say, it’s what the school decided to name my talent.” He started off with a blanket statement.

“So your talent is hope? Like what are you? Super high school level optimist?” Leon snarkily commented.

“That’s not exactly what it implies…” He answered, not quite sure of how to gently correct him. “But I am a bit optimistic so you got that right.

“Imbecile. For a commoner, you have no common sense.” Togami didn’t mince with his words. “This school names the talented as hope. Ergo, hope is just a namesake for talent.”

“Wait, so going by that logic, does that mean that the new guy’s talent is… talent?” Sayaka asked as she tilted her head in thought.

“I have a name you know.” He coughed in between.

“How interesting of an argument.” Celes smiled with curiosity as her chin rested on her interlaced fingers. “Do feel free to confirm or deny the accusations. If you would, please.”

Well it’s not like he was told to hide it.

“Yes, it’s exactly as you speculated. My talent is… talent.” He said and he almost winced from the collective gasp of the class along with some  curses thrown here and there.

“I call bullshit! There ain’t no way that’s true!” Mondo was one of the more vocal ones in class. “Are you telling me you’re good at more than one talent?”

“Actually… yes.” He shrinked back in reply. Oh, boy. They’re not going to be too pleased with his follow-up. “In fact, I’m kind of talented in… all talents.”

The class reacted more violently this time.

“Please, everyone! Settle down! This is a classroom and noise is not fit for a school environment!” Ishimaru reprimanded them even though contradictory to his words, he was also shouting.

“I know it’s unbelievable but I’m not lying.” He defended himself.

“Y-Yeah, right. As i-if a person like that actually e-exists.” Fukawa stammered her disapproval. “And e-even if they d-did, they would be more h-handsome than you.”

Admittedly, he knew he wasn’t the most dashing in the looks department but he couldn’t help but feel like that was a low blow. “Well sorry for not being SHSL Handsome.”

“Begone OP character! Your stats are too high! The 3D world isn’t one for beings such as yourself.” Yamada said with a look full of envy.

“You do know that even with all the talent in the world, it’s still literally impossible for me to do that.” He deadpanned.

“That sounds totally fake but okay.” He heard a familiar voice comment from the side.

In the midst of all the chaos, a calm and collected voice cut through. “I have a question.”

He turned to the person with the raised hand and gave them a grateful look. “Yes, please!”

“Is it correct for me to assume that you don’t just have many talents but rather you have ALL talents?” Kirigiri asked with a calculating gaze.

That was rather… anticlimactic. No, that’s not the right word. It was more of… unexpected. Given her background and personality, he could have sworn that she was suspicious of him and she should have jumped at the chance to question the origin of his talents. But instead, all she asked was this. To think that something would still surprise him even with all of his talents, there really was more to life than talent.

He couldn’t help but hope all the more.

“Yup.” He nodded with a smile that shone like a ray of sunshine. “Although technically, I only have all KNOWN talents. So there’s probably a lot that I don’t have. I’m still far from perfect.”

“Wait if you have different talents in you, does that mean you’re also good at baking?” Asahina eagerly cut in as she leaned forward on her desk.  "Please say yes because I want to know the taste of donuts made by the SHSL Baker!“

"Well yeah, I do have baking under my talents.” He admitted. “I could bake you some after class if you want.”

“Then… can you help me out with some coding as well?” Chihiro timidly asked.

“Sure thing! Oh, but if it’s alright with you, we could do it while eating the donuts.” He suggested.

“Kamukura, if it’s not too much to ask for then I too would like to impose.” Sakura politely spoke up. “I have been searching for sparring partners. You seem like a worthy opponent. It would be an honor to exchange blows with you.”

“The honor would be mine.” He nodded back curtly. “I haven’t actually tested out my physical talents yet so I’m not sure how good I’ll be but I’ll try not to disappoint you.”

“Kamukichi! Do help out a buddy and protect me from aliens!” Hagakure clapped his hands and pleaded. “I swear they’re out to get me!”

“That’s…” He paused as he considered his request. “Surprisingly, I do have a talent for that.”

Within a matter of seconds, the atmosphere has bloomed into one of friendship and hope.

“Booooooooring!” Junko whined from her seat. “Just look at him spreading his hope germs all over the place. Fucking sicko! BLECK!!”

“You know, he’s actually not a bad guy… once you get to know him.” Mukuro shyly chipped.

“Haaah? And how do you know that?!” Junko shot her a scathing glare but to her surprise, Mukuro didn’t even wither. She seemed unaffected. That’s irregular behavior right there. The only possible reason for that was… her eyes widened in disbelief. “What the hell! He got you too! He did! He got you hooked up on his hope dope!”

“We just talked…” She muttered, her eyes not meeting hers.

Junko was about to offer more profanities about that when she had felt someone else’s presence within her proximity. Her eyes turned to the source and her face immediately twisted into a scowl.

“Oh, hi there, Junko.” Kamukura greeted her with ease and Junko groaned outright at him though he didn’t seem too bothered about it. “I didn’t know that we’d be classmates. What are the odds of that?”

“Ha! As if! You probably predicted it way before we even met!” She argued snappishly.

“Well I guess it was a possible scenario.” He conceded and then smiled wider. “But the fact that out of all the possibilities, this was the one that happened, isn’t it amazing?”

She felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. “Yeah, exciting stuff.” She deadpanned.

“I’m really glad that we’re in the same class.” He added cheerfully. “Isn’t this great? Now we have more opportunities to sort out our differences. And who knows? Maybe you’ll see that hope isn’t as boring as you think it is.

Junko sank deeper into despair. Two years. She’s going to deal with his hopeful ass for two years. She let her head hit her desk in defeat.  Someone please, kill her now.

"I hope we’ll have an amazing high school life as classmates!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not continue this depending on feedback.   
> Honestly, if you want to see more of this au just pitch in some ideas and it'll get me going.  
> Hope you enjoyed this one and who knows? There just might be another!


	5. SHSL Despair Reformed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra chapter

Mukuro despaired.

She watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded in front of her. She did not expect this at all. Junko was being overpowered no, not just overpowered, she was being overthrown. Her despair was getting crushed by hope just as she was pinned down to the ground, defeated. This wasn’t how the plan was supposed to go. Her sister was down and here she was being the unreliable older sister, being a disappointment, and not protecting her.

She had to get her sister away from him and escape.

With that thought in mind, she lunged forward and drew her knife with one hand as her other hand drew a gun. She fired several shots at him, all at critical points on his body and with an accuracy high enough to kill. Even if he could somehow dodge them all, he’d have to let go of Junko in the process and this was what she was betting on. An opening. Her main priority was to retrieve her sister and then maybe finish him off after. She picked up speed after she open fired.

Only to have her vision shift.

Much to her bewilderment, Kamukura had disappeared. No, not just him. He and her sister had vanished from her sight for a split second. That wasn’t right. How was that even possible? But then her eyes widened in realization. It wasn’t possible at all. That’s because they didn’t vanish. It was her line of sight that changed. Somehow, she had been turned just slightly so without her even noticing it in a fraction of a second. If she wasn’t facing him then that could only mean one thing.

It meant that she was totally unguarded against him.

Distraught, she quickly twisted her body to try and frantically return him to her field of vision. She did so in a defensive manner, with her knife slashing at the air along with her movements just in case he got any ideas of taking her out in close combat. She expected to see him pulling a smug face while he held her sister. She expected to see him as a blur, already pulling out a maneuver on her. She expected to see the floor in the next second since he could take her out so easily. But what she saw was the last thing that she expected to see.

Kamukura was there right in front of her, smiling at her.

The mere absurdity of the sight made her stop all movement. She had to blink several times just to confirm that this wasn’t just some trick of the eye. He just smiled wider at her actions which only confused her more. Why was he smiling? And why did it look so genuine and innocent and unlike any other smile she had seen before?

“Hello there, I don’t think we’ve properly met.” He started politely and bowed. “I’m Izuru Kamukura.”

Mukuro was yet again at a lost by his words and his actions that she was stunned from moving. It’s only after the lag that her eyes strayed towards her sister. Much to her relief, her sister was still fine. She was still breathing but she was out cold and judging from the mark on her forehead, it was self-inflicted. She had understood that from this that Junko chose to escape his hope through her own way. Now Mukuro was alone to deal with him instead.

“Don’t you… you know, already know about me?” She asked cautiously as her grip on her weapons only tightened. “You also have a talent like Junko’s, right? Why are you even asking my name?”

He laughed lightly at this. “Well you’re not wrong. It’s true that I already kind of figured out who you are.” Then he leaned forward and… was he pouting? He was and his eyes were shining expectantly. “But that’s not a proper introduction. If we’re going to be friends then we have to start this out right.”

…

…Wait, what? Did she just hear him right?

“…Friends?” She tilted her head in inquiry.

“Yup! Friends!” He seconded with boundless enthusiasm as he then explained animatedly, “You see, I’m still kind of not yet enrolled here in school and so I haven’t exactly made any friends yet. Actually, none at all in fact considering I’ve been cooped up in this facility the whole time.” He sighed longingly and then sheepishly smiled at her.

Again. He was smiling at her again. It was different from the one before but it brought out just the same unusual feelings inside her.

“I was hoping… that we could be friends?” He asked timidly. Huh, so even the SHSL Hope was capable of embarrassment even when he had all the talents of the world. He awkwardly waved out his hands. “If that’s alright with you, of course!”

It took her a full minute to comprehend that he was honestly serious about this. He just asked his attempted murderer to be his first friend in high school. More importantly, he asked her. Her, the plain and boring one of the set. Her, the unreliable and disappointing sister. Her, the one who has never known any other form of companionship aside from her despairing  bond with her twin.

Her, who was so socially stunted that she didn’t know how to react to his smile.

“But why… me?” The words had unconsciously left her lips before she could stop them. Why? It just didn’t make sense. “I just tried to kill you.”

“So did your sister but don’t worry about it too much.” He brushed the matter aside as if it was nothing. But he could tell that she wouldn’t accept just that excuse alone. He crossed his arms as a serious expression overtook his face. “I kind of understand where you’re coming from so it’s easy for me to forgive you. You just love your sister very much, right? I have a younger sister of my own too so I can relate to you.”

Well it’s true that she loved her sister dearly but he was willing to forgive her for that? How could he be so complacent? She couldn’t understand him. Even more puzzling was that she even made a mental note of the fact that he had a younger sister as well. Never mind that, what right did he have to talk as if he knew them?

“…What would you know about me and my sister?” She asked accusingly, her eyes narrowed and stared daggers at him.

“Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to pry.” He immediately apologized once he realized his mistake and bowed with utmost sincerity. “I still haven’t figured out yet how to turn off my talents so I basically got your whole backstory down without your permission. I’m so sorry.”

“…” She neither rejected nor accepted his apology. She was neutral. In truth, there was no need for this discussion at all. She just had to get Junko and leave. That’s it. And yet for some strange reason, she stayed.

“Sorry about that.” He raised his head after a while and then sheepishly smiled at her for what seemed to be the third time since their first contact. She knew it was the third because she was counting them. “Can we start over again?”

This wasn’t part of the plan. Mukuro panicked inside. She wasn’t told on what to do should the plan fail. She wasn’t told on how to handle this situation. She wasn’t told on how to react to his smile. She hadn’t prepared herself for any of this. For any of this inviting friendliness and other feelings. Feelings she knows that have names but has never felt them before hence she never bothered remembering.

As she stared at his smile, the foreign feelings gnawed at her heart.

“Why are you…” She trailed off as her head finished off the sentence.  Why are you trying to befriend me? Why are you different? Why are you smiling? Why are you smiling at me? “Why are you so nice?”

Why are you so nice to me?

He chuckled and again, she couldn’t help but wonder why the sound felt so light to her ears. “Because don’t you deserve to be treated nicely?”

“Not really.” Her eyes shot down in guilt as she felt the familiar sensation of despair take hold of her heart. “I’m just a disappointment after all. The most I can give a person is despair.”

Even if he was nice to her, she wouldn’t be so nice to him not when he was hope and she was despair.

“You’ve got that wrong!” He loudly objected.

Startled by his outburst, her eyes shot up to stare at him, only to see him looking back at her with determination unlike any she’s ever seen.

“You’ve got plenty of good qualities! You just haven’t acknowledged them!” He argued as he began to list out all the supporting facts. “Like how you’ve always thought of your sister’s sake more than your own because you’re more selfless than you’d like to admit. Like how you try your hardest even though you never get rewarded, even though sometimes you even get scolded for it, you still try to do your best.”

Mukuro listened to him as he listed fact after fact about her and she watched as his face softened with a certain tenderness with each added fact.

“Like how you are right now. If you asked me, I’d say that you’re an amazing person.” He said it in a way that told her he firmly believed in this. He held a hand over his chest as he spoke, “I’m not disappointed at all. In fact, I’m happy to have met such a wonderful person while I’m stuck here isolated. I feel lucky to have met you.”

By the end of his speech, Mukuro’s face was flushed red as the foreign feeling surged through her.

He smiled wider. “Rather than despair, you give me hope. ”

Hope. Was that what this feeling was called?

“Aaaand I probably said too much.” This time it was his turn to flush red as the lash back of embarrassment finally hit him. “Too soon? I’m so sorry. Just because I know your profile doesn’t mean I have right to talk about you as if I knew you. You haven’t even told me any of these yet.” He spoke quickly, frantically, almost awkwardly. “Ah! I’m messing up this whole friendship process. No wonder you won’t say yes.”

“Yes.” The word left her lips as soon as he had said it.

“Huh?” He blinked as if still confirming that the echo wasn’t just inside his head.

“…Yes.” She repeated this time with more certainty. But the words that followed this were soft, hesitant, but also eager. “Yes, I will… be your friend.”

She knows that in the grand scale of things, she had just said yes to more than just an invitation for friendship.

“Really? I’m so happy!” His face instantly beamed and lit up the dreary room. “You won’t regret this, I swear!” He stepped closer and held her hands in his out of sheer enthusiasm. He was a bundle of unbridled joy. “I look forward to our friendship together!”

She almost had to squint from the brightness he was exuding. But she thinks, she doesn’t mind this. This friendship of theirs. This brightness of his. This foreign feeling. “Ah… me too. I look forward to this.”

Mukuro was just the first of the many people he’d fill with hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Naegi!Kamukura confesses about the HCP to his classmates.


	6. Revelations

"So what's it like to be born with all that talent?"

Kamukura hesitated. He saw the question coming as soon as the discussion started and that had been half an hour ago. Until now he's still undecided on how to answer this. How should he answer this? Should he dodge the question? But that would only put it on hold for now since they'd surely bring it up again. Should he straight up lie? But that would weigh heavy on his conscience and he didn't want to trick anyone. Should he tell the truth?

He chanced a sideway glance and saw Enoshima smirking at him. Of course she'd take joy at his predicament. He's a bit amazed that she hasn't sauntered here yet and gloated at him.

It was quite the amusing situation to an outsider, he supposed. But being put on the spot like this, while expected, it still had the strong effect of shocking him. He was a nervous wreck and despite having all of the talents in the world, that part of him had remained as he fidgeted uncomfortably. He was so nervous that his instincts started kicking in instead and out of habit, he blurted out the honest truth.

"Actually..." He chuckled weakly and avoided eye contact as he admitted, "I have no idea either."

"What? Dude, not cool!" Kuwata was the first to react. "We just wanna hear what it's like. We're not asking for embarassing stories."

"Not yet." Celes quickly added with a smile. "We will of course have to exchange those stories some other time."

"I will be honest and admit that I am curious as well." Sakura joined in with her opinion. "But if you're not comfortable with sharing then we will respect your decision to keep to yourself."

"Maybe we're being a bit too nosy? It might be a touchy subject for all we know" Maizono seconded in concern. "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."

Kamukura trembled. He could still back out from this. It looks like some were already giving him the chance to sweep this all aside. And yet oddly enough, no matter how terrified he was to face this, he didn't want to run away either. These were his friends and they deserved to hear the truth. Whether they accept him or not afterwards or if this changes anything, it's not up to him to decide. He just had to believe in them. And so he took his chances and hoped.

"See, um, the thing is..." He gulped as he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He shut his eyes tightly and braced himself as he muttered in a low and hesitant voice, "I really have no idea what it's like... if you catch my drift..."

"Nah, man. I ain't getting it at all." Mondo admitted in all honesty.

"But how could you not know? I mean, it's not like you weren't born talented, right?" Asahina joked as she lightly patted him on the back for good measure.

"..."

"..."

Kamukura's silence was deafening.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!" Hagakure screamed at the top of his lungs and started yelling, "I knew it! He was too good to be human! He was an alien all along! He's here to abduct people!"

"Cease you needless screaming. Is there nothing but air inside that head of yours? Of course there's a more logical explantion to this." Togami harshly reprimanded and then turned his glare to another person. He crossed his arms and ordered him, "Well then. Speak up."

Kamukura blinked slowly in contrast to his wildly beating heart. This was it then. The actual confession. "It's..." He started.

"Human experimentation." Kirigiri finished.

There was a sharp collective gasp.

"Called it!" Hagakure shouted as he cowered in fear. "I told you all so! Aliens! They've been abducting us all this time!"

"Witchcraft!" Yamada objected with his own conspiracy theory. "You had a literal character development! This sounds more and more 2D as we go along!"

"T-There's no way that a c-convenient sci-fi plot device exists in real life. G-Get over yourself." Fukawa stammered her complaints. "W-what's next? A starcrossed lovers d-development?"

"Not sure where everybody's going with this but let me get this right." Mondo's loud voice cut through the clamor. "You got in some sort of surgery just to get yourself some talents?"

"Well when you put it that way, it sounds a bit... vague." Kamukura commented. "But yes, I suppose that's one way of explaining it."

"Such unethical acts are unfit in a school environment!" Ishimaru declared in a demanding voice. "We must alert the authorities immediately!"

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be telling you this but..." Kamukura lowered his voice to that of a whisper. "It was actually the school who proposed this project."

A stunned silence filled the room.

"Oh my, now that's quite the intriguing piece of information." Celes commented with an unreadable expression.

"Indeed, to think that this school would go so far as to resort to human experimentation." Kirigiri murmured to herself. "Just what are they trying to achieve?"

While everyone else was still trying to process this new information, someone who had already known about this and had kept quiet the whole time finally spoke up, "Did it... Did the surgery hurt?" Ikusaba timidly asked.

"Not that I know of." Kamukura did his best to reassure her with a smile. "It's not as bad as it sounds. I don't even remember much of the process."

"Shouldn't that concern you? What if they're trying to hide something in those memories that you lost?" Chihiro asked worriedly.

"I guess it should. But it's not that much of a big deal." Kamukura nonchalantly shrugged. "If they're hiding anything from me, I'm sure that I can easily find out about it."

"Cheatsheet." Enoshima clicked her tongue in annoyance from her seat far far away from him.

"Hmph. If you're done asking unimportant questions, let me ask the important ones." Togami narrowed his eyes at him. "Out of all the people in the world, why did they choose you as the subject? Why you? What made you so special?"

"I think you're misunderstanding something." Kamukura smiled softly. "They chose me because I'm not special at all. They wanted to create a special person from scratch and I was perfectly ordinary to fit the criteria." He explained and laughed a bit. "Well there's also the factor of luck."

"This s-story just keeps getting more r-ridiculous as it goes on." Fukawa pointed out. "D-don't mind me. C-continue all you want."

Kamukura took that as his cue. "I was chosen by lottery to attend as the SHSL Luckster. You guys know how that works, right? Every year someone without talent gets in through sheer luck. Well, this year that person was me." He let out a breath and continued, "I guess the school figured that while they were at it, they might as well choose me as the subject for the experiment."

"Woah, you really lucked out on this one." Kuwata commented in awe.

"If I may ask, why did you decide to go through all this?" Ishimaru politely asked with his arm raised. "It has come to my understanding that you have already been given a title and a place here at school. And yet, you risked your life for more. What were you hoping to achieve?"

"You're right. When I got the letter that said that I'd be attending Hope's Peak Academy, I was honestly so happy to be given such an honor." Kamukura started off with a smile that was chipped with every word he spoke. He sighed. "But it just didn't seem fair, you know? I don't really have SHSL luck, I just have a title that says I do." He shook his head and composed himself again. His smile shone naturally. "I guess I just wanted to stand on equal grounds with everyone."

"You have a warrior's spirit. I commend your values and honor." Sakura nodded with approval.

"You're honestly too good for this world." Asahina commented as she wiped a few tears. "I'm sure even if you got in as SHSL Luckster, we would still have been great friends!"

"Thank you." Kamukura beamed with all the joy and hope he could muster. He was truly glad to have made such wonderful friends. "Even as not Kamukura, I'd like to believe that we'd all get along just fine too."

"Wait. I knew it was kind of suspicious that you have the same name as this school's founder." Sayaka pointed out. "So if Kamukura's just your new name then who were you before?"

Kamukura couldn't help but smile. Just as much as he had dreaded the question that started this whole conversation, he had also secretly looked forward to this part. Yes, the part where he could finally tell them about himself. Not just his talented self, but his self before the surgery. He didn't know why he was especially giddy about it but maybe he just wanted them to know. Even though he had all the talent in the world right now, he still treasured those ordinary days. He wanted to share that feeling.

"Just some ordinary kid. Average in just about everything even in hobbies and interests. If there's anything that makes me stand out at all it's that I'm just a bit more optimistic than others." He narrated the lines he'd been practicing all this time. There's just one last thing he has left to say. "Let me reintroduce myself."

Kamukura's smile was beaming with joy and with hope as he finally says an all too familiar name that hasn't been mentioned in a long while.

"I'm Makoto Naegi. I hope to continue to be in your care."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to continue this so badly but I don't know how to. If any of my readers are still alive, consider this a cry for help. What happens after this? You decide.


	7. Another Hopeful Encounter

They weren’t supposed to meet.

Under almost all circumstances, the chances of their paths crossing were against them. And yet, against all odds, here they were inside Hope’s Peak Academy grounds and they were just about to unknowingly pass by each other. Hinata was on his way home, his schedule running just a bit late since he met up with a friend before this. Kamukura was on his way back to his classroom since he had left behind something that slipped passed his mind.

The two were on different paths and yet their paths would merge eventually.

Time stopped at the moment Kamukura passed by Hinata. His eyes chanced a sideway glanced him, and although he already knew that he was just another ordinary student, he couldn’t help but stare at him. There was something about him that made him pause and it although it was only for a fraction of a second, that was enough for his mind to work. In the next moment, his eyes widened slightly at the results of his analysis.

This was no ordinary person. At least not in another route. This was the person who would have become Izuru Kamukura instead of him. However, unlike Naegi, Hinata wasn’t so lucky. He would have had his whole personality erased. Even worse, there was a possibility of the world falling into despair in this alternate path. And although there was still the possibility of hope in that future, it was also paved with much pain and sacrifice. Naegi almost had to blink back the tears from seeing so much despair.

This was not that path. In this route, Naegi was Kamukura and Hinata was still a reserve course student. This should have been enough to steer him away from the path of despair however, Kamukura wanted to go beyond that. Despite the despair he saw in Hinata, he had also seen the hope inside him. The hope still sleeping inside him now. He knew that Hinata could become so much more even without the Kamukura project. It’s now only a matter of letting Hinata acknowledge that too.

And so time continued in the next moment as if it had not been frozen at all.

Kamukura was not about to let him pass him by. “Um, excuse me?” He turned and tapped him lightly by the shoulder.

Hinata’s shoulders jumped slightly, surprised from being suddenly called out by a stranger. “Uh, how can I help you?” He asked with uncertainty.

“I know this sounds weird but…” He trailed and he knew that this was an outrageous question but he wanted to ask it anyways. “Will you please be friends with me?” He asked in all sincerity and he hoped that it showed.

Hinata raised an eyebrow at him in skepticism. “I don’t even know you.”

“I know. To be honest, I don’t know even know you either.” He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “That’s why I want to be friends with you. I want to get to know you.”

Hinata was about to say something but changed his mind as soon as he noticed Kamukura’s uniform.

“Are all main course students this weird?” Hinata didn’t mean for it to come out bitter but it did. It sounded like it was poison on his lips. He looked away and continued despondently, “I don’t know what your talent is or what you saw in me but you should ask someone else. I’m a common, boring, average and without talent person. There’re so many more talented than me out there. Me? I’m just a nobody.”

“You’ve got that wrong!” Kamukura firmly objected. His voice was steady and though it carried a presence, it wasn’t overbearing. “You’re not a nobody. You’re a person. A unique person with a wonderful personality. You shouldn’t compare yourself with others on talent alone. You should know better that there’s more to life than talent.”

“…!” The last sentence seemed to have struck a chord as Hinata’s jaw snapped shut. He gritted his teeth and for a moment, Kamukura was worried that he might have angered him instead. However, Hinata started shaking and not long after, he was chuckling. “I can’t believe you’re going so far for a stranger like me. You guys have too much free time.” He punctuated with a carefree laugh.

Kamukura laughed with him too. “Well you’re not wrong there.” He paused and stopped himself from fidgeting out of nervous habit as he then asked him again, “So does that mean…”

“It’s kind of hard to befriend someone I don’t know.” Hinata smirked at him expectantly.

Kamukura blinked. Oh. It’s only then that he realized that he never did properly introduce himself. He made a mental note to workshop on his introductions later. He raised a hand towards him. “My name’s Izuru Kamukura and I would like to be your friend.”

Hinata accepted his offer and shook hands with him. “I’m Hajime Hinata. It’s nice to meet you.”

They weren’t supposed to meet but in a future that’s uncertain, where hope and despair is mixed, their paths eventually crossed. And this was just the first of their many hopeful encounters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are now weekly for the whole month of december :) as long as you guys tell me what you think


	8. Prelude to A Different Hope Cultivation Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra chapter

Kamukura faced forward with a misleading air of confidence.

In truth, he was a nervous wreck on the inside. He had just gotten better at hiding it. He needed to show that he had confidence in his plan and he did. Presenting it however was another thing. Despite having the talent for it, that didn’t make him any less nervous than when he didn’t. It was just in his nature to worry. But he would never let that hold him back. He knew he had to get this approval. With this, things wouldn’t just be okay, it would get better.

Hinata deserved better.

“Can hope inspire hope in a hopeless person?” He dropped the question and let it hang in the air before continuing, “In layman’s terms, take one untalented person, surround that person with talented people, and see if there’s a positive effect on the subject.”

“Just what is the point of this?” A board member asked with an unimpressed scowl.

Kamukura didn’t let it faze him as he explained, “If someone without talent somehow acquires their own talent then they wouldn’t that be worth calling SHSL Hope?”

“Blasphemy! A common untalented person becoming Hope? I insist that you must be joking.” Another board member commented snidely.

“It’s not a joke, I assure you. This is a proposition.” He calmly answered with a smile. “They will become a symbol for the untalented people. That person will inspire hope within the hearts of the masses.”

“Who cares about the masses? They’re beneath talented people anyways and they can never hope to achieve what those with talent can do.” One of the board members scoffed. “Besides, we already have you. We don’t need another SHSL Hope.”

And there it was. The true hurdle that needed to be overcome.

“You’ve got that wrong.” He ominously dropped.

There was a sudden tension in the air and everyone but Kamukura had broken into cold sweat.

“Hey! What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself!” One of them demanded as they pounded their fist on the table.

Kamukura just calmly smiled at them and proclaimed, “You don’t own me.”

The whole table paled at his declaration.

One of them tried to channel his confusion into anger as he raised his voice, “Your words hardly hold water! You signed a contract! You belong to this institution!”

“Ah, but that was a legal binding contract. And we all know that all laws have loopholes.” He easily refuted in a calm and perhaps even a chipper tone. “Besides, even if you try to bring it into court, would you really want to do that? After all, this ‘surgery’ is a bit questionable and we don’t want any unwanted media attention, right?” He smiled wider.

The room fell silent afterwards as he let them come to their own conclusion.

Kamukura knew he had the upper hand in this. He felt bad that he had to resort to blackmail but he reasoned that he did technically have the right to this. If this could have been resolved through just peaceful negotiation then he would have done that instead. But it was unlikely for the school to start another Hope Cultivation Plan at least not so soon and not in the way that he wanted.

When Kamukura had met Hinata, he had not just seen his alternate future, he had also seen the other possible futures in their timeline. Makoto Naegi was the first to become Izuru Kamukura but he wasn’t going to be the last. With his success, they’d just try and recreate another. And that’s how this world would spiral into despair. Not everyone would be lucky enough to keep their personalities and without something to hold on, it would be easy for them to fall into despair.

That’s why he needed to turn everything around. He needed to change the way the board thought and to do that he needed to convince them. He needed undeniable evidence and irrefutable results. He needed a game changer. He already knew what he needed.

He clapped his hands and smiled widely as he declared, “I have a proposal.”

_[A Different Hope Cultivation Plan.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7836367) _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two AUs crossing over? It's more likely than you think.  
> It wasn't in my intentions to do this but it just happened as I wrote. Like huh, that could happen and it'd still make sense so why not? Although to fit this au, this means Hinata is only enrolled in the 2nd year. Oh, well. That's why this is an extra chapter.


	9. Hoping to Meet You

Komaeda sighed listlessly as he stared in a daze.

He had heard rumors of a SHSL Hope enrolled and he had wanted to meet this wonderful junior ever since. To think that such a remarkably talented person existed that was worthy to be called the embodiment of hope! He practically cried when he first heard of the news. And so he made it his mission to meet with this legendary person and bask in his glorious hope. However, luck didn't seem to favor his side.

He had been trying for a while now to even just catch a glimpse of the infamous junior but he kept missing him all the time. At this point, he's pretty sure that he's already acquainted with the whole class of 78th except for the elusive person he had been dying to meet with. Truly, he could only attribute this to his terrible luck. He sighed again as he slumped in his seat.

But Komaeda didn't lose hope. He knew that he his luck would turn around anytime soon and he'd get what he wanted in tenfold. Or if soon wasn't that soon enough then he had some other ideas he had in mind that he could try out in the meantime. He only hoped that one of them would work in his favor.

It was at that moment when the door slid open and his hope was answered.

"Pardon the intrusion but is Komaeda here?" An unfamiliar voice asked as soon as they walked into the room.

"Ah, yes that would be me. I'm Nagito Komaeda." He promptly replied and stood from his seat.

The stranger turned to his direction and then beamed. "I'm Izuru Kamukura. It's nice to meet you!"

There was a pregnant pause between them and Komaeda could have sworn he could hear his own heartbeats.

He quickly dashed forward and grabbed Kamukura's hand with a face that was so bright with joy it was almost blinding. "I'm honored!" He shouted in glee and shook his hand with much fervor. "I've heard so much about you. Truly you are even more amazing in person! Please, tell me why would such a hope like you come and see undeserving trash like me?"

Kamukura frowned at his choice of words. "You're not trash, Komaeda. You are a wonderful person with an incredible talent." He countered and continued, "Actually, the reason as to why I'm here is precisely because of your talent."

Komaeda's grip slacked a bit but he didn't let go. His head tilted in genuine confusion. "My talent? Oh, but it's nothing special. It's just dumb luck."

"I guess I can understand why you'd call it dumb luck when you compare it to all the other talents here." Kamukura smiled faintly while his face alluded to a deeper meaning to his words. He tightened his grip on his hand. "But it is still a talent. And yours is truly worthy of its SHSL Luckster title."

Komaeda stared at their still joined hands and then back at Kamukura's grin. He truly was lucky to meet such a godsend person.

"Amazing! Absolutely astonishing! Not only are you talented, you also carry a hopeful attitude! Truly you are the epitome of hope!" He showered him with heartfelt praise. He felt as though this was his luckiest moment to date. He blinked. Now that he thought about it, there's still something that hasn't been explained yet. "I still don't quite understand as to how my luck has summoned your presence."

"Oh, well that's because if I hadn't come here, instead you would have tried to do something else." He chuckled nervously. "Let's just say that with your luck, it was going to end in a lot of collateral damage and another probation for you."

Komaeda's eyes widened in surprise. Questions quickly formed inside his head. How did he know that he was searching for him? Did he know about the bombs too? Just how large was the consequences of his actions if he had pushed through with them? And of course, the more important ones like how do you have so much hope? There was so much he wanted to ask him as he marveled over an actual display of his talent.

If he could, he would've talked to him more but of course he would have to share with the rest of the class since they were still in their classroom and had watched the entire exchange.

"So you're the Hope Bigshot that this creep's been foaming over the whole month?" Saionji sized him up with a scrutinizing gaze and then snickered. "Are you sure this is the right guy? Isn't he a bit too short and plain?"

"You got me there." Kamukura retracted his hand, much to Komaeda's disappointment, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "You're not the first one to comment on that."

"Hey, don't you think that was a bit rude?" Koizumi reprimanded her and then turned to him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. It's just how she normally talks so try not to take it too personally."

"It's alright. I've heard of much harsher criticism than that." He replied as his mind recalled Enoshima's commentary when they first met. "I know how... underwhelming I look so it's okay."

"To think that you would judge him by height alone is disappointing." Ryotwo shook his head and commented, "If you just look at his eyes then you would see that there is more to him than just stature."

"That's actually nice of you to say, thank you." He smiled gratefully for having his height defended. "I appreciate the sentiment."

"Bwahaha! A kindred spirit! Of course!" Tanaka bellowed and posed with such dramatic flair and in a way that emphasized his red eye. "We must enact a ritual at once! Reveal your dark arts and let us fight to see which one reigns supreme!"

"By dark arts, do you mean talent?" He politely asked and then casually added, "Unless you literally meant dark arts then that's fine with me too."

"Don't lump him in with you! You're wearing contacts! This kid here is the real deal, okay?" Souda shouted at Tanaka. There seemed to be a lag time in his head as his reaction was a bit delayed. "Wait, did you just say you could do actual dark arts?"

"I'm not so sure how to feel about being called a kid when I'm only one year younger than you guys." He intentionally glossed over the last question as he turned up his smile a notch.

"Um, e-excuse me for asking this question but..." Mikan timidly raised her hand. "W-What exactly does your talent mean?"

Kamukura was about to answer that but Komaeda intervened with great enthusiasm. "I'm so happy that you're interested in hope too! Hope is the shining pillar of light. Hope is what gives us the strength to carry on despite all of the bad experiences. Hope is what triumphs over despair." He rambled on with a grin filled with his own hope.

"Well that's the definition of hope. It's the idea that tomorrow will be better than today's and yesterday's sorrow." Kamukura added and he was grateful that Komaeda had stopped to listen to his piece. "Mine's a bit different but thanks, Komaeda." He saw his face brighten up at the acknowledgement and he smiled wider too. "Just to clarify, I was given the title SHSL Hope mostly because I have all talents."

"Yes, we have heard of such rumor about you but forgive us if we find it rather unbelievable." Sonia spoke for the whole class when she said this and she did so with grace. "If it's not too much to ask then would it be alright to ask for a show of your talent?"

"That's a pretty tall order considering my talent is all talents." He chuckled nervously at being in this kind of spotlight again. He understood though that this was the normal reaction. Heck, even he still finds his talent unbelievable sometimes. "But if you guys want to see anything in particular then maybe I could do that."

"Oh! Oh! Pick Ibuki! Ibuki has the most awesome idea for your tryout!" Ibuki jumped sideways with too much enthusiasm as she quickly told him her idea. "Can you juggle and skate and cook and fight and shoot and do a bunch more other stuff ALL AT THE SAME TIME???"

"I don't see any other circumstance that would ask me for such a specific feat but..." He trailed as he considered her request and then nonchalantly shrugged. "I guess I could do that. Sure, why not."

"Ohoho! You truly are talented in all fields!" Teruteru praised with a scheming smile and an extra sparkle in his eyes as he asked, "Are you also talented in bed?"

"..." He fell silent for a long moment before finally declaring with his face deadpanned, "I'm not going to answer that."

"What's so exciting about a bed anyways?" Owari said and she then challenged him, "Heh, if you're as strong as you say you are then how about we test it out in a fight?"

"That's actually a pretty tame request compared to the first one I got." He pointed out and also added as an afterthought, "Oh, how about you join us and Sakura when we spar later after class hours?"

"What's this? A brawl and the great Ogre will be participating as well?" Nidai interjected and there was an extra spark in his eyes. "How interesting! Please do count me in!"

"Sure, that's cool too. The more people, the more fun!" He seconded and turned to the rest of the class. "Anyone else want to join in?"

"I too am interested in this and would like to test my abilities against you as well." Pekoyama readily raised her hand. "Would there be other participants as well?"

"Hmm, maybe I could get Mukuro to join us." He added thoughtfully. "Oh, but the rest of my class will certainly be there to watch so you're all welcome too to cheer on your friends."

"Well why the hell didn't you say so in the first place." Kuzuryuu clicked his tongue at him and then gloated, "I'm going to enjoy watching you eat dirt. Our class is going to thrash yours."

"As long as I'm there, the odds of that is highly unlikely." He replied to his taunt. "But I might just referee to even out the odds."

"This is the first time we'll be hanging out with another class. I've always wanted to try this out." Nanami huffed with excitement. "I'm sure this will be lots of fun!"

"It certainly will be! I mean I hope so!" Kamukura chuckled as his mind raced with all the possibilities for today's event. And for the more to come. "Here's to a wonderful match with you guys!"

This was the prelude to how two hope-filled classes clashed.


	10. A Short Conversation ft. SHSL Hope and SHSL ???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra chapter

"I'm a little hurt that you came here for Komaeda and not to greet your already existing friend." Hinata commented.

"Jealous much?" Kamukura joked.

"You'd wish." Hinata punched him lightly on the shoulder which cause Kamukura to laugh until they were both laughing.

The laughter eventually died down though.

"Hey, Kamukura." Hinata started, his voice was even and unreadable.

He already knew what he was about to bring up but even so he still asked, "What is it, Hinata?"

Hinata pursed his lips as the words got stuck in his throat. "Do you think that I belong here?"

Kamukura also knew that what Hinata needed wasn't an answer. He just needed someone to listen to him. And so he quietly listened.

"All of this still feels like a dream to me. I was just a reserve course student for my first year and then all of a sudden, I get transferred into the main course with a talent that even I don't know what it is." He ranted on exasperatedly. It had bothered him. This was all too convenient and just generally unbelievable. He felt as though he had gained a talent overnight which he's sure that's just not possible. He had been doubting all this time. "It's all too suspicious and it sounds fake to me but..."

Hinata clenched his fist tightly, afraid to let go.

"But I don't want to question it either." He confessed with a bitter laugh. He knew how pathetic that sounded and how weak he looked and how cowardly he was to not face this problem head on. But that was his honest opinion. "I'm happy where I am right now. Here with everyone else right beside me. I'm afraid that if I question it too much then I'd realize that this is all just a dream and I'd wake up."

Alone. To a reality where he didn't belong. To a reality that he wasn't talented. To a reality which seemed more like a nightmare.

That's why he wanted to believe so badly that this was indeed his reality no matter how unbelievable it was. But even so, he still couldn't help but doubt. It was just in his nature. This was too good to be true and he felt as though he didn't deserve it. "Is it really alright for me to be happy here?"

A curtain of heavy silence draped over them.

Kamukura, no, as Naegi, he understood just where Hinata was coming from. It was easy to feel the need to check reality every now and then. It was easy to feel small when surrounded by such talented individuals. It was easy to notice how oneself didn't measure up to everyone else's standards.

It was just so easy to compare that it was also just as easy to forget some important things.

"Everyone deserves a chance at happiness." He finally decided to cut through the silence that separated them. He turned to him and gave his most brilliant smile. "Even if this is all just a dream, aren't you still glad to have had it?"

Hinata stared at him, scrutinizing his face and reading into his words. He then promptly turned his head to the side and nonchalantly commented, "I guess that's one way of looking at it." He sounded blank or at least he tried to.

But Kamukura saw the ghost of a smile on Hinata's lips and that's how he knew for sure that he was going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not sure if Hinata as SHSL ??? is canon in this au. I mean, I think I want him to be. What are your thoughts though?


End file.
